


Mirabella's Delivery Service

by allcatsareblackinthedark



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Fluff, Genderbending, Kiki's Delivery Service AU, feel-good story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-29
Updated: 2015-12-04
Packaged: 2018-05-03 22:09:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5308877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allcatsareblackinthedark/pseuds/allcatsareblackinthedark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Once a witch turns thirteen, it is time for her to set out and find a city to settle in for a year to complete her training. IT is time for Mirabella to go out and find her own place in the world, but Erebor seems unwelcoming at first and far more daunting than she had imagined. Mirabella must learn how to deal with this new life and all it entails, and it is far more than she had ever expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Departure

As the wind blew gently, curling around her face and twisting the ends of her hair, Mirabella knew that it was the night she would leave home. The muffled sound of the radio forecasting clear skies confirmed her thoughts and she looked to the sky herself. Tonight was the full moon, and Mirabella decided with a firm nod, definitely the night she would leave on her journey.

It was one of the oldest customs of her kind. For hundreds of years, thirteen year old witches would set out on their broomsticks to find a new town, one devoid of other witches, and learn and apply their craft there for a year. It was a scary new adventure, but Mirabella was excited. A new home sounded daunting, but surely there was a place for her out there.

Her mother had left the Shire when she was a girl. She went to the bustling livestock filled of Rohan, to the glistening city of Imladris, and to the far out peaks of the mountainous Iron Hills. She looked from above at all of them, and even visited a few. She settled, however, back in the Shire, in a small town called Hobbiton. There, she plied her skill of fortune telling. She revealed the love and hope of the future, and the sadness too. She was enfolded into the town and became a prominent member, after a little bit of wiggling to find her place.

Then she met Bungo Baggins, a practical man. He was homebody and had not an adventurous bone in his body. He was almost the exact opposite, which is why most think they went together so well. They fell in love, hard and fast. They married when Belladonna became 18, and it was three years before a curly haired babe squalled her way into the world. It had been many years, but eventually that baby grew up to be thirteen herself, and ready to forge forward into this new time of her life. And that babe was, of course, Mirabella Baggins.

Mirabella picked up the radio, turned it off, and put her hand through the woven hand loop, and made her way down a worn path to the house down the lane, covered with crawling ivy and roses. Her mother was inside at her smooth, round table, with a well worn deck of brightly colored cards spread before her. Primula, Mirabella’s cousin, was sitting opposite her.

Mirabella recognised the pattern. It was five cards arranged in a cross, Primula had already picked her five cards from the deck of twenty two. The first card her mother flipped over was the Emperor. “This means glory,” Her mother explains her hand brushing of the surface of the card. “Power, and victory. Since your question is about your love life, it means that you will be victorious in your pursuits.”

Mirabella settled in the doorway and watched the exchange. Her mother was an excellent fortune teller, and she enjoyed watching the hands turning and seeing what cards were there. Belladonna studied the cards Primula had selected a moment longer before sweeping them into her deck and putting it away in a neat little lacquered box. She seemed to have already told Primula her reading.

Belladonna lifted her eyes to Mirabella’s then her gaze flickered back to Primula. “Now, what I can say is that you will find love, and I expect sometime soon. There may be distress in the relationship or before it, and you’ll need to work through it.” Belladonna smiled knowingly. “And this may be just an old lady who wants some grandnieces and nephews to spoil speaking, but I have an inkling that there a children in your near future.” Belladonna patted her hand and Primula giggled to herself.

“Oh Auntie, thank you for doing this yet again.” She noticed Mirabella in the doorway and stood up. “Mira, I didn’t see you here.” Mirabella smiled.

“I know, I just wanted to watch.” They stood together in nice silence for a moment before Mirabella burst. “I’m planning on leaving tonight!” Primula stood straight and gasped.

“Tonight?! I thought you were going to leave in a month?”

Mirabella giggled. “I know, I know, but I wanted to leave on a perfect night! Tonight’s going to be clear skies, and I don’t want to wait for next month and have it turn out to be raining or something!”

“But Mira-” Primula tried to interject, but Belladonna cut in at the same moment.

“I had a feeling about this.” She said in her gentle motherly tone, sweeping her brown curls over her shoulder. “Which is why Grandma Baggins is coming over tonight instead of next month.”

Her daughter rolled her eyes, but smiled, showing all her teeth. “Thank you mama! I need to go pack!” She said, racing past her cousin, through the door and up the stairs to the green painted door that was hers. Primula blew a hair out of her face.

“She’s sure still a little whirlwind.” She laughed, and Belladonna joined her. “She wouldn’t be Mira if she wasn’t.”

Mirabella was packing things in her yellow bag upstairs. Hairbrush, spare underwear, hair ties, a thin blanket, some soaps, candles, just things she thought were more essential before she was able to settle down. If she threw a few wrapped candies in there, it was no one’s business but hers.

Her father, Bungo, appeared in the door with a calm smile. “Make sure to bring a map.” He told her warmly. “And a good coat. It can get cold at night in some places.” His daughter smiled widely.

“Yes, dad.” Her father had always thought of everything.

Just as she finished packing most of her things, her black cat Smeagol hopped on top of her bag. “Are you really planning on leaving tonight, precious?” He said, in his broken, almost sickly tone. Mirabella had found him as a stray several years ago when he had fallen down a sewer grate. She fished him out, and even though he bit her up pretty good,  he had stuck with her since. His ears were bitten and chewed up, and his tail was bent, and he sounded like he always had a hairball stuck in his throat, but he grew on a person.

“Yes, Smeagol. I don’t want to go on a bad day, that would wreck it!” She shooed him off her pack and he just flicked his broken tail.

“We thought you agreed on next month? Didn’t we?” That was another peculiarity, he always spoke as if he was two cats, not one, but again, he grew on you like moss on a rock.

“Next month might not be clear and nice! I don’t want to leave on a bad night. I know how you don’t like the rain, you snagglepuss.” She said, poking his side.

He swatted at her hand and hissed at the mention of rain and ran to hide under her bed as her mother came in. “I have something for you darling.” She said softly, holding a parcel in her arms. She handed to her daughter as she kneeled on the floor. Mirabella took it carefully and untied the string.

“A dress.” Mirabella said almost sadly. She knew what this meant. Her mother sighed with a smile.

“I know it’s a silly tradition, but witches have worn this color for centuries. Have you ever heard of a witch wearing pink or yellow? We always wear black.” Mirabella pouted and held the dress in front of her.

“I’d look much better in cream, or lavender.” She muttered and Belladonna chuckled.

“You know, I thought you might say something, so I got you something.” Her mother produced a big red hair bow.

“It’s so pretty.” Mirabella said, touching it with the tips of her fingers.

“I know that witches in their first year can’t wear anything but black, but I don’t think hair bows are off limits.” Her mother smiled, fastening it in her daughter’s hair.

They sat there for a moment, in silence, and Mirabella held the dress to her chest. “Will it be hard, mama?” She asked softly. Belladonna thought a moment.

“Well, dear, I can’t tell you truly. Every witch goes through something different during this year. Some enjoy it, and some don’t.” Mirabella looked at the dress and frowned. Belladonna continued. “If you’re anything like your mother, you will definitely have an adventure.” She smiled and hugged her daughter.

“Thanks mama.” Mirabella said, snuggling into her mother’s embrace. “I hope everything goes well for you, darling. Knowing you, you will definitely make your place wherever you go, my flower.”


	2. A Town With A Lake View

Plant your feet firmly and believe in your ability, her mother had told her as a little girl, with her little feet on either side of a little broom. Mirabella thought of it now, squaring her feet, her broom under her. She wore her black dress and her red bow and she could feel her family and friends watching her. Primula, Grandma Baggins, mother and father, Mrs. Greenhand, Uncle Isengrim, a few other Baggins, and several Tooks. All watching her.

She took a deep breath. One in, one out. She felt her magic pool in her feet and slowly rise up to her chest. She felt the wind whip her dress and her hair back and forth. And with a push of her feet and a quiet wish in her mind, she lept off the ground and into the night sky.

She hit a few trees, not too hard, mind you, and tried to concentrate while Smeagol yowled at her angrily as he clung to the broom. Then she had leveled out and began flying more calmly. “Can you get the radio?” She called to her cat, and he flicked at the button lazily. Her father had let her take it, a reminder of home, and she was on her mother’s broomstick. She already felt a little homesick, knowing she was leaving her home so far behind her, but she felt giddy too.

Below her, her town twinkled away and she looked ahead to other lights on the ground. That was Bywater below her, where her Aunt Jessamine practiced. Frogmorton was ahead, where Old Woman Ruby lived. Nearly every town in the Shire had a witch. Only Little Delving, which was the opposite direction, and too small and boring for Mirabella to be satisfied with, and maybe some places in South Farthing.

Mirabella was heading for Rivendell. Even if she found a place before then, she knew it wouldn’t be in the Shire. Maybe she’d go even farther, past the mountains, and see places even farther than he mother had. Maybe so far that no one this side of Bree had ever even heard of!

Mirabella spotted another flier in the sky and sidled up to her. “Hello! I’m Mirabella, I’m a new witch in training!” She introduced herself over the radio.

“Could you turn that stupid thing off?” The other girl asked her in a snotty tone. “I prefer to fly without distractions.”

“Oh, okay.” Mirabella said, and fished for the radio where it was hanging from her broom. The other witch introduced herself as Lobelia Bracegirdle, and she was near the end of her year of training.

“Is it hard to fit into a new town?” Mirabella asked her. The other witch smirked, and her poofy black cat seemed to do  the feline equivalent.

“Oh yes, quite. My skill is fortune telling, so I have no problem.” Mirabella smiled wider. “My mother is a fortune teller! Her name is Belladonna.” Lobelia laughed meanly.

“Oh, like she’s any good of a fortune teller! She couldn’t tell the fortune of a rock!” Before Mirabella could reply to her nasty words, Lobelia announced that her town was below them and dived down.

“Well, we didn’t like her, or that cat, dids we?” Smeagol said from her spot on the broom, and Mirabella fumed at her snotty words. Her mother was an excellent fortune teller, thank you very much! She was angry for a long time, until she saw the lights of Bree below her. Bree was the passing point from the Shire to the outside world.

The Shire was all she knew her whole life, and now as she passed above the border she felt something lifted off her shoulders, but her heart felt just a bit heavier. She flew high, above the last lights of the Shire and over the vast landscape outside the Shire.

That was when a large gust of storm hit her. “We can’t stay out in this storm!” She called to Smeagol, trying to keep a hold of the broom. He hissed something back as she dived down lower, trying to find shelter. Below them happened to be a train, and she managed to follow along it and find an open hatch.

She fell in ungracefully, broom and all, and shut the hatch door. There was nothing to do now but wait out the storm. Smeagol apparently thought so too, because after shaking himself free of the wetness clinging to his fur, he laid down in the hay that was in the compartment and slept. Now that seemed like a great idea, so Mirabella took off her dress and burrowed small-clothed self down in the hay as well to wait for morning to come.

When morning did come it was brought by a strange tickling of her foot, and Mirabella woke up laughing. As it turned out, the hay was held suspended over a cart full of cows, and when Mirabella’s foot slipped down to the bottom, a cow had licked her foot. “I’m sorry to have slept in your breakfast!” She said to the doe eyed heifer that had licked her foot and gave it a pat on the head.

Now, it was time to see where they had ended up. Mirabella opened the hatch and stood up blinking in the bright sun. She gasped when she saw the sparkling blue waters. It looked like a lake, but if she couldn’t see the coastline on the far horizon, she would have called it a sea. There was a smaller town perched on the edge of the lake and further beyond that a city that rose up like a mountain, and she guessed it really was built on a mountain.

This seemed familiar and she took out her map, trying to hold it straight against the wind. “The Lonely Mountain…” She said to herself. It was far, far from her Shire. The lake must be Esgaroth, and the town was Dale. And the Lonely Mountain in the distance held the town of Erebor.

She had read about it in books. It was a major trading point and one of the central cities of Arda and a major city like Rivendell or Ered Luin. It was told to be a gorgeous mining town, full of hardworking people, and as far as she knew, devoid of witches.

“That’s where we’re going Smeagol.” She said over the whipping wind. Smeagol hissed almost belatedly.

“Why that town? We don’t like water.” Mirabella should have known the prospect of water would put him against the town all together.

“But, a lake means plenty of fish.” She said in a sing song voice as she put on her dress and got ready to depart. That put him in a little better of a mood, but it was obvious he was still not very happy about it. Either way, he hopped on the broom and they made a shaky departure from the top of the train. She lifted high into the air and made it for the closer city, Dale. Maybe they would know if any witches were in Erebor.

The city of Dale was largely made of stone and brick. The buildings have painted, colorful roofs with large eaves. There was space of cars as well, which there were many fewer of in the Shire. There was markets bustling below her and people walking over sidewalks past shop windows. There was even a large clock tower just beyond Dale but before Erebor. It was gorgeous, with big raven wings as clock hands and gold inlaid in the face.

“Tell us thats you are not landing theres, precious.” Smeagol asked, pawing at her. “Of course we are,” She told him with a large smile. It took very little time for her to approach the city closely and she landed softly on a cobbled street near the center of the city. The people looked at her with wide eyes, and she supposed they might not have seen someone fly before. “Hello! My name is Mirabella. This is Smeagol, my black cat.” She chirped to them at large. “Do you know if there is any witches in Erebor? I want to spend my year of training there.”

Most people seemed to pass her by, which was a bit frustrating, but two young girls stopped. “There hasn’t been a witch here in centuries.” The oldest said. “Erebor doesn’t have a witch.” Mirabella nodded happily. The younger girl turned her head curiously. “I’ve never seen a witch before. Do they bring good luck?”

Mirabella laughed and her older sister seemed to be embarrassed. “Sometimes.” Mirabella said. Then she put her hands in front of the girl. She cupped them together, turned them this way and that. She then blew a small soft breath on her hand. A large red petaled flower grew in her hand, to the wonder of the girls. It was a trick her mother had taught her. She handed the flower to the younger and the smile she had nearly split her face.

The older looked amazed as well. “If you ever need anything, make sure to ask for Sigrid and Tilda.” She said before Mirabella stepped over her broomstick again. Erebor needed a witch, and Mirabella hoped to fit in. Well, as much as a witch could, they tended to be a bit more, well, obvious.

She flew over the clocktower, admiring the raven and the intricate carving around it, before going to the Lonely Mountain. The whole city of Erebor was on top of the mountain. It was made of shining stone and rock carved into buildings. The rock was dark colored, but smooth and accented with brightly colored paints and carvings. It was a bit more intimidating and a little less friendly looking than Dale.

Regardless, she would find her place in Erebor, and if it truly did not work out, then Dale was just a broom ride down the mountaintop. There was a similar awe of the people as she flew above their heads. Mirabella felt almost proud, as they were clearly mesmerised. She smiled, to make a good first impression. Her mother had always told her that first impressions were the most important.

Just as she flew beneath a bridge, there was a loud sound next to her and she spun out of the way. These big cars were barreling down the roads beside her and she was having trouble getting out of their way. She just barely dodged out of the way and landed on another street. Mirabella sighed and sagged in relief before she heard yet another loud whistling behind her.

This time, however, it was a policeman. “What were you trying to do kid? You were almost the cause of a big accident, zooming around on your toothpick out there!” He yelled at her angrily. He had a unibrow and shaggy patches of facial hair. Mirabella leaned back, as he spit when he spoke, and also because he smelt strongly of fish.

“I should call your parents for that little stunt! Where’s your mom? I ough-”

“Help! Help! Thief! He’s getting away!” A voice cried out down the street. The policeman looked up for a moment and back at Mirabella. “Don’t get any ideas.” He growled at her before chasing down the street after the voice.

Mirabella took the chance to start walking away. She walked a bit firmer than she might have. She was a bit frustrated with the town. Aside from Sigrid and Tilda, not many have bothered to help her and it was being very confusing for her. The Shire was so much nicer, and she felt almost sad that she had come so far to be greeted with such little enthusiasm.

“Precious?” Smeagol asked her unhelpfully. Mirabella wasn’t interested in talking right now, much less deciphering what Smeagol had said. She was the only one who could understand him, as he was her familiar and no other’s, but sometimes she wondered if anyone else would even be able to understand him if they could.

She only got a few yards further before she heard another honk. This time, it was far squeakier, and not as loud as a car horn.

“Miss! wait up! Ah sure fooled 'at cop huh?” Came a voice from beside her, along with the tell-tale metallic sounds of a bicycle. Mirabella hazarded a glance towards the road for a minute.

It was a boy on a bicycle, as she might have suspected. He was wearing a large hat with floppy ears and a colored scarf, even though it was a gorgeous summer day. He had a pair of pigtails sticking out from under his hat and a large smile gracing his face.

A large smile that Mirabella was too annoyed with to really deal with at the moment.

“‘at was me yellin' thief. It'll be all okay now. Worked out good, huh? ” He said proudly. He then tilted his head at Mirabella as she looked straight ahead. She pointedly looked ahead as to give him a hint that she was in no mood to talk right now.

“Ye hae tae be a real witch. Th' way ye fly 'at broom!” He told her with a hand gesture and an almost eager smile. Mirabella was beginning to be angrier at this. ‘The way she fly that broom’? She nearly hit a bunch of cars for heaven’s sake! Was he really trying to compliment her or was he being insulting? Her feet hit the pavement a bit harder than before. He leaned back on his bicycle casually and laughed slightly, even though she very much was not. “Ye think ye could teach me how tae fly it?” He said, almost teasingly.

“Hey, Bofur!” Yelled a voice from further down the street as a group of boys leaned against the wall. “Maybe you could sweep her off her feet with that broom!” They yelled at him, and if that didn’t make Mirabella madder. Was he trying to kiss her or something silly so he and his friend could laugh about it later? She felt a little bit of mean satisfaction as she heard him nearly colliding with a trash can.

“Ye know miss, Ah loove flyin' too.” Bofur stopped, leaning on a lamppost with that silly, large grin. “Hey, wait!” He called out as Mirabella passed him. she stomped her foot and swiveled around.

“Thanks for getting me out of trouble, but I really shouldn’t be talking to you, and do you know why?” She said angrily, her grip of her mother’s lacquered broom tightening. “It’s very rude to talk to  girl before you even know her name.” She settled on using an old Shire saying, as she really had no true reason to be angry other than she was annoyed.

She turned back and walked forward with even more determination. She liked to think that he had his jaw dropped and was stunned by her, and he was for a moment. After that moment passed, however, he regained his silly smile and pedalled forwards again until he was beside her.

“You're a bit old fashioned, arenae ye? You sound like me grandm-”

“Just leave me alone and go away!” She burst out, tired of being pestered.

“Hey, don’t go!” He said as she turned down smaller alleyway, away from him. When he turned to follow her, he was greeted by the sight of Mirabella flying far up high on her broomstick.

“Wow.” Bofur said, as he tilted his floppy hat back slightly. “What a cool witch.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can anyone guess who the policeman was?


	3. The Baker's Assistant

It was far harder than Mirabella had expected to find a place to stay. Any hotel she trying to get a room at had asked for her parents and she didn’t want to sit and explain everything. She didn’t really have the money for a hotel anyways. That was how she ended up sitting on the stairs in front of a big statue of an ancient king with a long beard. Her lunch, a cucumber, ham, and chive butter sandwich her mother had loving packed, sat in her lap untouched.

“Precious...Are youses going to eats that?” Smeagol asked hoarsely, looking at the sandwich. Mirabella took off one of the ham slices and gave it to Smeagol, despite the fact that he had already had the sardines off a different sandwich already. He took a few hearty bites out of the ham before he looked up at Mirabella. “Wheres are we going to bes sleeping tonights?” He asked quietly and far more hushedly than he had before.

“I don’t know.” Mirabella replied.

Her mother must have had it easier, as she had relatives in the Shire where she had settled. Mirabella was entirely on her own here. Well, maybe not entirely. She had met Sigrid and Tilda. She was almost convinced to go back to Dale and ask around for them.

There was a police siren in the distance, and Mirabella was quick to pack up her sandwich and the rest of her things before that policeman recognised her. She picked up speed and went around a corner away from the park. She ended up walking a bit aimlessly for a time.

The clock tower struck in the distance and the light was beginning to fade. Mirabella had paused in front of a bakery for a moment and thought about perhaps buying some bread for supper when the door burst open. “Hey! You forgot your pacifier!” Yelled a loud voice. A heavily pregnant woman had come out of the shop. She had her silver hair drawn back in an elegant braid and was waving a baby pacifier in her hand. A woman with a baby carriage had just turned the corner down the street, whom she must have been calling to.

“Oh no.” She said with a sigh. “Now that poor thing is going to cry all the way home.” She moved back to the bakery and opened the door. “I’m sorry everyone, but can you wait just a minute? I’ll be back in a moment.” She told her customers and went towards the road that the woman had taken.

“Excuse me. Would you like me to bring it to her?” Mirabella offered. “I can get it to her in no time.”

“Really? You’d do that?” The woman asked, one hand resting on her swollen stomach. “Thank you so much, dear.” She said, handing the small pacifier to Mirabella.

“Let’s go, Smeagol!” Mirabella said as she climbed on top of the ledge overlooking the lower parts of the mountain town. She could hear the woman gasp behind her and she pushed off with her feet and lept. Mirabella let the power surge through her soles and up her legs and to her head until she was flying and moving forward, quickly. It was not too long before she landed next to the woman with her baby carriage.

“Sorry to bother you, but you left this in the bakery.” Mirabella told her, handing over the pacifier to a newly wakened child. The woman thanked her for helping her, scrawled down something on a piece of paper for her, and Mirabella took off back to the bakery. She waited inside to tell the woman that she had delivered the pacifier, but she wasn’t in the front. There was a younger man with a strange three-pointed hairstyle and pointed beard, however, working at the til.

He saw her and waved to her quickly. “Come on in and wait a minute. You have to be the one Dori was talking about.” Mirabella nodded slightly and waited by the wall as the last few customers straggled out. As she waited, she noticed there was also a large man with lots of muscles and tattoos on his bald head bringing in and out trays, and a shorter man with white slicked back hair and a split beard.

Just as the last person had left the store, the woman, Dori, she supposed, came in from the baking area. “There you are!” Dori said, then hushedly spoke again. “When I saw you fly off, I thought for a moment I had been dreaming.”

“Surprise, surprise, Dori is going nuts.” The man with the pointy hair said.

“Probably because of you and your antics Nori.” She shot back and Nori winked at her.

Mirabella tentatively spoke to Dori. “This woman told me to give you this note.” She said. Dori unfolded the paper and began to read.

“‘Thanks for returning the pacifier. Your new delivery girl is really quite special.’”

Mirabella smiled for moment. “Well, I’ll be on my way.” She said awkwardly, shifting towards the door.

“Wait!” Dori told her. “Wait a minute. I really have to do something to show you my thanks.” Mirabella nodded and let Dori led her towards the back. “My name is Dori. I own this bakery with my husband, Balin. The one behind the counter is Nori, my younger brother who is staying to help me while I’m pregnant.” Nori paused from putting bread into a bag for a customer to wink at the two of them before they disappeared into the back. “His boyfriend and my husband’s brother, Dwalin, is the one with the tattoos.”

“My name is Mirabella Baggins.”

“What a lovely name.”

The back lead to two places. A few steps down would lead to the bakery and several steps up lead to where Dori and the rest lived. Dori already had some hot water on the stove and she quickly made the two of them tea, which reminded Mirabella greatly of home, where her mother brewed tea incessantly due to her fortune telling. Dori even set out a small dish of cream for Smeagol, who lapped it up with a happiness seen usually when Mirabella fed him.

“So, tell me if I’m right.” Dori started, sitting in a kitchen chair adjacent to Mirabella. “You’re a witch in training?” Mirabella nodded.

“I like it here, but people don’t seem to really like witches.”

“Well, it depends on the people.” Dori said, sipping her tea with grace. “I like you, and I’ve only just met you.” Mirabella felt a bit warmer at that. That was three people who liked her in this area, and that was more than she had had this morning.

“Now tell me, whereabouts are you two staying?” Dori asked. Mirabella paused and Dori continued.

“Oh, I see...Why didn’t you tell me you had no place to stay? We have a spare room in the attic. You can use that.” Mirabella stood up and Smeagol’s bitten ears perked up as well.

“You’d really let me stay with you?” Mirabella asked excitedly and almost confusedly.

Dori laughed richly. “Why of course!”

After a bit more chatting, Dori showed the attic to Mirabella. It was above the garage, at the top of a few steps. “It may need a little dusting.” Dori warned before prying open the door. Upon opening it, she respoke. “It’s quite dustier than I remembered.” She said, frowning slightly. “If I weren’t about to have a baby, I would help you clean.” Mirabella was quick to assure her it was alright. Dori let herself out after telling her some of the basic, so Mirabella could get a good look.

Mirabella assessed everything in the room. There was a table with chairs, a bed, and a fireplace, along with a few different furnitures stacked in the corner. Everything was covered in dust, but she could definitely manage it. When she opened the window, she was delighted to see the lake. Smeagol was not as thrilled about it, but he didn’t like water, regardless. There was, however, a black female cat across the yard in another house that he took a fancy too. She did not seem as interested.

Mirabella let Smeagol be in the window and began dusting and sweeping and thoroughly washing everything out. She finished at around supper time, in which she joined the Dori and her family, and was quick to settle in bed.

She turned on her father’s radio and listened. They were reporting about an airship coming over the mountain, called the Smaug. It was to be big and glorious and the technical advancement of our time. Mirabella didn’t care quite that much. She had other things on her mind.

“Smeagol, I’ve decided to stay in this town. Maybe I’ll find other nice people like Dori who will like me for who I am.”

Smeagol didn’t reply. Mirabella switched off her radio and turned into the covers to go to sleep.

 


	4. Starting the Job

It had surprised Mirabella at first to be waking up in the attic. She had almost expected to be home, in her bed. She made herself get up, regardless of how tired she felt. After waking, she ended up turning on the radio to the same broadcasts as the night before and counted out her money.

“How much do you think it would cost to get a phone?” She asked Smeagol as she sorted a few coins out.

“Phones? Can you eats them?” Smeagol asked.

“Nope. You know what a phone is. It’s to call people. We’re gonna need one.”

She had been thinking of setting up a business. She could deliver packages and other such things for people on her broom. A phone would be what she’d need to take orders.

Mirabella opened the window wide and could smell the lake in the breeze. She tied the big red hair ribbon into her hair and told herself that she needed to write back home soon. She got dressed and headed down to the bakery doors. Balin and Dwalin were already awake, putting bread dough in the oven, and Dori and Nori flitted through to bring baked bread to the storefront.

Dori was kind, and her husband Balin was as well. Dwalin was definitely intimidating and didn’t speak very much to her, but his boyfriend Nori was nice if teasing. Mirabella opened the doors. “Good morning.” She said.

“Well, look who is up.” Dori said, grabbing another tray. “Did you sleep well?” She asks as she hefted the tray over her stomach.

“Yes. The bread smells good.” Mirabella said politely. “Can I help?”

“Of course, dear.” Dori replied, and Mirabella let Nori put a tray of bread rolls into her arms.

“Don’t drop it now, pebble.” He warned her teasingly. He had been calling her ‘pebble’ since the previous night and she had a feeling he wouldn’t stop.

While putting away the bread, Mirabella told Dori of her plan of opening a delivery service. “I really only have one skill, and that’s flying. So, I thought a delivery service would be perfect.”

“It’s a great idea.” Dori agreed. “Mirabella’s Flying Delivery Service. And, since you’re staying here, I can be your very first client.”

“You mean it?” Mirabella asked excitedly.

“Of course, dear!”

“That’s great!” Mirabella cheered. “I was thinking of putting a phone upstairs, for orders.”

“Oh, Mirabella, a phone is so expensive. Don’t waste your money.” Dori told her. “What I think you should do is to use our phone. You know, it will take some time to get regular customers. I’ll make you a deal. Since I’m expecting a baby, and Nori can’t always help out, I could use more help. If you mind the store once in awhile, you can use the phone and have the room upstairs. And I’ll even throw in free breakfast.” Dori smiled

Mirabella smiled even wider.

“Yes! We’ve got a deal!” She agreed wholeheartedly. This sounded wonderful, and it was hard to believe that Dori was being so generous. “I’m going to work very hard for you.” Mirabella said, and could feel Nori pat her head, even with the hair ribbon.

“I’m sure you’ll work hard, pebble.” He told her. “Let’s get this bread out.”

After helping in the store for a few hours, Mirabella went back upstairs to write a quick letter to her mother and father. She borrowed the paper and a pen from Dori and was planning on mailing it when she went shopping later that day.

_“Dear Mama and Dad,_

_Since I’ve left, I’ve went farther than the Shire, as I’m sure you know by now. I’m in a city called Erebor. I’m sure you can find it on one of Dad’s maps. It’s a very pretty town, and I’ve met some very nice people. There is a large clock tower that has ravens on it, and the town buildings are made of rock and stone instead of wood and brick. It’s pretty though, in a different way than the Shire._

_I think I’m finding my place here. I’m even starting up a delivery service! I have a deal with a friend and bakery-owner, Dori, that in exchange for help around the bakery, I can use one of her spare rooms and the phone to take orders. I’m very excited to begin my adventures here in Erebor. I will write more when I’ve been settled for a while._

_Love,_

_Mirabella Baggins”_

She sealed the short letter into an envelope and kept it at her side.

“Smeagol!” She called out the window. “Come on, we’re going shopping!” She decided to leave the broom at home, and instead treked out with her trusty cat on her shoulder, her letter and money in hand.

There were far more cars in Erebor, she realised again, when she nearly got herself ran over. She made it to the other side anyways.

“Precious, you cants do that!” Smeagol admonished her from where he had sank his claws in the confusion.

“I’m sorry. We’re alive though, aren’t we?” Mirabella told him cheekily.

Up ahead, coming towards her on the street, was a group of girls. They were talking about birthday parties and boys and fun things. They also were wearing fashionable, colorful clothes. It made Mirabell feel a little envious. She didn’t quite have friends her own age here yet, much less ones who invited her to parties. She didn’t get to wear pretty colors either.

Mirabella kept going and eventually turned into the general store. It was a little different shopping for yourself instead of shopping with your mother. She was sure though, to keep track of the cost of everything and how much she had.

She put a good pan in the cart, which was a bit more costly than she would have liked, and a few other cooking utensils. Smeagol found a mug with little gold rings on it and insisted that she buy it. As she needed a cup anyways, she purchased it, along with some plates and bowls. She also purchased milk, pancake mix, oil, sugar, flour, and some other staples.

Everything was costly, and put a cut into her savings, but she knew she needed it all. She took the bags and began carrying them home. Mirabella was glad she decided not to take her broom, as this was a bit hard to carry on it.

As she was walking home, she saw a gorgeous pair of red shoes in a window display. Hers were suddenly starting to feel older, but she couldn’t afford to buy new shoes, especially fancy ones she didn’t need. As she looked in the window, a loud bunch of boys in an old automobile pulled up to the curb.

“Hey there! Witch! Dae ye remember me?” Bofur said from behind her and she turned to find a whole crowd of boys looking at her strangely. She really didn’t like being leered at like that, and they were surely teasing her. “How come you're nae flyin' today?” Bofur asked. “It’s me, remember? Bofur?”

Mirabella frowned. She definitely remembered him annoying and teasing her yesterday, and she had no desire to speak to him.

“Ye can tell you're a witch cause ye wear a dark dress.” He said, and that made her very mad. She didn’t choose to wear a shapeless black dress! She began to stomp away, even though she heard him call behind her to stop and wait. She felt very insulted right now and would not listen regardless.

Just as she entered the yard, Balin leaned out the door. “Perfect timing, Mirabella.” He called, waving her down. “You have your first customer waiting for you in the bakery.” He smiled kindly.

“Really?” Mirabella asked him brightly. He nodded just before she dashed up the stairs to put away her groceries. She nearly tripped while putting her bags on the table, but she was able to grab one of the maps of Erebor that she had gotten earlier and her broom. She slid into the bakery quickly to met her customer.

The customer was an older gentleman, with twisting grey hair and a wisened face. “This is Dr. Oin. He’s one of the customers here at the bakery and he has a delivery for you.”

“A fishery? No, no, I have a delivery.” Dr. Oin insisted. Dori tutted and whispered to Mirabella.

“Dr. Oin is a bit hard of hearing, so speak loudly.”

“Dori has told me great things about you.” Dr. Oin insisted. “Do you think you can deliver this by tonight?” He asked, tapping a covered birdcage. Inside was a cat toy that Smeagol was pleased to find out, looked like him.“It’s a birthday gift for my nephew Gimli. Something came up at work, so I can’t give it to him in person, but I told my brother Gloin that I’d have it delivered.”

Mirabella had Dr. Oin point out on the map where the gift was to be delivered. It was a bit out of town, but she assured him that she would make it there. It would be a straight flight for her, so it would take half the time a car might. Dr. Oin paid her a good amount, a bit more than she might have priced to be honest.

She took off from the ledge right away, to be sure she would get the gift there on time. Down below her, Bofur, who had just happened to be passing through, was looking up with Dori.

“She’s the most amazing girl” He said.

“She sure is.” Dori agreed.

“Hey, what can you tell me about her?”

 


	5. Surrogate Smeagol

The houses looked very small from how high Mirabella was flying. She had soared far above the ground, and the wind was a bit strong up here.

“How highs are we going?” Smeagol asked from his perch on her bag.

“Not too much higher. I just don’t want to be stopped by that traffic cop on my first job.” She told him as she wrestled out her marked map. The nephew’s house was just along the edge of the lake, where the mountain base reaches.

“It’s just past that peninsula.” Mirabella assured herself and Smeagol. Not that Smeagol cared very much, as long as they didn’t get any higher.

Mirabella went ahead and dropped herself in the sky until she was at a much better height, which startled her familiar. He growled at her in irritation, but she only leaned a hand back to pet him soothingly before flying forwards towards the peninsula.

“I’m beginning to like this town more and more.” Mirabella said happily.

“We is getting sicks to our stomaches.” Smeagol insisted, holding onto the broom with his paws.

“I can’t wait to write again to mama and dad again.”

As she flew, behind her gathered a vee of geese. They alerted her to their presence with a few loud squawks.

“Oh, Smeagol, look at them!” Mirabella cheered. She flew a bit behind them and took up one side of their formation, as if she was a wild goose. They allowed her into the fold easily enough, and she flew with them a short while. Then, all the geese started squawking at once, loud calls between them.

“What are they saying?” She asked her familiar, confused.

“Theyse is sayings fly high.”

“Fly high?”

“A gusteses of winds is coming, yes it is.” Smeagol confirmed.

The geese stopped flapping their wings for a moment, and then the gust hit. The geese were tossed by the wind, one-by-one, and scattered. Then the wind hit Mirabella. It was harsh and sent her toppling. Her feet flew off the broomstick and she had barely been able to hold on to the stick at all. As she struggled to get back onto her broom, she saw her package falling into the forest below her.

She managed to get on her broom and towards the cage. She just barely had it in her arms when she hit the canopy of trees. She broke a few branches and was tangled up in the remaining ones. An angry raven crowed at her, as she landed nearly on top of its nest.

“I’m sorry!” She told the raven as it tried to scratch her with its grey claws. She was quick to get back on her broom and to get up and out of the forest. “Leave me alone!” She cried, swatting at the irritated bird.

Once she had flown a good hundred feet from the nest, the raven let up and stopped chasing her. Mirabella sighed in relief. She checked the package to find that the toy cat in the cage had fallen out. “We have to go back!” She cried, and she turned around to find that a flock of ravens was refusing to let her go down into the forest.

“Eggses stealer, they says.” Smeagol told her, and she knew they wouldn’t let her back into the forest.

“How are we going to get back the toy?” Mirabella wondered dejectedly.

“At night?” Smeagol said with a cough.

“No, no, it would be too late. We wouldn’t have time.” Mirabella told him. Then, looking at him, she realised he looked an awful lot like the cat toy. “Unless...we buy ourselves some time.”

Smeagol found himself in the birdcage, but he was not happy about it. He said nothing, but he glowered at Mirabella.

“Just pretend to be the doll until I can find the real one.” Mirabella told him and he growled back at her. “Look, we don’t have much of a choice here.” She insisted. “Just...just hold still and be like a doll.”

Mirabella touched down in front of a large door. She rang the doorbell and checked on Smeagol, who had already started with a good doll impression.

“It must be my present from Uncle Oin!” A voice insisted inside the door. A pudgy boy with ruddy cheeks and bright red hair opened the door. “Is that it?” He asked, looking at her for confirmation.

“Yes. You are Gimli?” She asked in return. He nodded, so she handed him the birdcage. Gimli slid off the covering and looked at the stark still cat pretending to be a doll. “It’s...cool.” He said slowly. It must not have been what he had expected.

A large man with a bright red beard came up behind Gimli. “You’re a bit late.” He said, in a deep but amiable voice. “After my brother called, we were wondering if you got lost.”

“I’m sorry.” Mirabella apologized. She then dug out her notebook. “Please sign here.” She asked. She needed to keep track of who got their deliveries. Gloin signed with a flourish and Mirabella could hear Gimli speaking inside.

“Can I put the canary in here?” Gimli asked, looking at the fancy, gilded cage.

“Sure, as long as you don’t let it fly away. Your mother would skin me if we let her pet fly away.” Gloin said with a deep laugh.

Mirabella looked nervously at Smeagol, still pretending to be a doll.

“I-I gotta run!” She said quickly, wanting to search for the doll as soon as she could. “Bye! Thank you, enjoy your present!” She called as she lifted off on her broom.

Inside, Smeagol was not pleased to find that there was a dog in this household. It was older and grayed, but it still could be a problem if it could tell he wasn’t a doll. He really hoped Mirabella would be quick.

Back in the forest, Mirabella had managed to get in on foot. The raven weren’t looking for her on the forest floor. Now, she had to figure out where the doll had landed in all of this shrubbery and trees. After searching several of the trees and their surrounding areas, Mirabella found a cabin out in a clearing.

She could see that in the window, there was the little cat doll, propped up to face outside. She went around to the door and called out for who ever lived there. The door was open though, and no one was inside. Inside was some modest furnishings and plenty of paint, canvas, dirtied rags, and other art supplies.

“Anybody here?!” She yelled again.

“Yes! Stop shouting, I’m on the roof.” She heard a deeper voice call from above her. Mirabella found the ladder propped against the other side of the house and climbed up. At the top of the ladder, there was a raven, looking her in the face. It was crying out at here, angry that she was there. Then it hopped back towards the center of the roof.

There sat a woman, older than her but not too much so. She had messy black hair tied up in a bun, thick eyebrows and a large nose. She was sitting, facing a grouping of ravens, with a sketchpad against her knees.

“What do you want?” She asked, seeming almost annoyed, but not looking away from her subject.

Mirabella coughed. “Well, you have a black cat doll in your window, and you see, it’s mine and I need it back.” The woman made a few broad movements of her arm and looked closer at the raven in front of her before replying.

“So why was it in the forest?”

“That’s where I dropped it.” Mirabella told her sheepishly. “May I have it back please?”

“I...really need to...finish this.” The woman said, sketching quickly. “That’s a good girl.” She addressed the raven. “You’re just about through.” She looked at Mirabella for a moment with large, bright blue eyes.

As she finished drawing the raven, Mirabella explained why she needed the doll so bad. They climbed down the ladder and the woman, who she had learned was named Thorin, went into the cabin. She picked up the doll and handed it to Mirabella. “He’s been keeping me company.” She said, her face stoic and impassive. “But, as it’s yours, you may have it, little egg burglar.”

“Oh no!” Mirabella cried, realising the toy’s head was coming off. It was barely held by a few seams.

“Must have been the ravens.” Thorin said, looking at the doll.

“I can’t deliver it like this,” Mirabella insisted.

“We could work out a deal…?” Thorin offered.

Mirabella spent the next hour scrubbing the floors and helping clean while Thorin sewed the doll up. Once the doll was done, Thorin gave it to Mirabella, who dashed off to save Smeagol.

At the birthday boy’s house, Smeagol found himself with a large grey dog wrapped around him. Gimli laughed, “Gandalf likes my present more than me!”

“Silly dog adores that stuffed cat. He won’t leave the thing alone!” Gloin agreed.

While the party guests were chatting, Gandalf picked up Smeagol in his mouth and brought him to the door. He scratched at the door and was let out by Gimli. “Go on now, Gandalf. Shut the door when you’re done.” Gimli told him before leaving him in the doorway.

Gandalf set Smeagol onto the ground, where the cat appreciatively stretched out his legs. Mirabella, who had been waiting behind one of the parked cars, scooped her familiar up in her arms and hugged him. “There you are! I’m sorry it took me so long.”

Smeagol pointed at Gandalf with a paw. “Gandalf helps us escape.” He insisted, and Mirabella thanked him. She gave him the stuffed toy, which he grasped in his mouth and brought back inside.

After they took off, Mirabella watched Smeagol crack his neck, which was sore from sitting so long. “How are you? Hungry?” She asked.

“Tired.” Smeagol responded.

“Me too.” Mirabella agreed. “We’re both sleeping well tonight.” She said as Smeagol yawned lazily.

“By the way, that painter who found the stuffed cat? Thorin? She mentioned wanting to do a drawing with me in it.”

“Naked?” Smeagol croaked out and Mirabella nearly fell off her broom.

When she touched down at the bakery, she found a braided bread hanging in the window. It was a girl on a broom with a sign beneath telling all who looked about her Delivery Service.

She jumped up and hugged Dwalin when Nori revealed he was the one who made it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you guys think about Thorin? Think I managed to mix Thorin's natural gruffness with the outgoingness of Ursula? There will be more of Thorin's story later on, if you're wondering why she's out in the woods at all.
> 
> I also thought that old dog was the perfect suit for Gandalf. What did you guys think?


	6. Late For The Party

Some days were especially boring, like today. Mirabella was asked to watch the storefront while Dori rested and Nori was out. Mirabella sat listlessly leaned against the counter. Not one person came in for bread, much less for a delivery. Every time someone slowed down in front of the bakery, she would perk up only to find they would continue on their way.

Dr. Oin even passed the window, but he continued on his way after waving at her. Mirabella deflated. It was still so boring. The phone began to ring, and she nearly launched herself at the phone to pick it up. “Hello! Gray Fox Bakery!” She said into the receiver.

“Hello, is this also Mirabella’s Delivery Service?”

“Huh? Yes ma’am.”

“Can you deliver a package for me? You can come pick it up at 4:30?”

“Yes ma’am, 4:30 would be the perfect time to pick it up. And the address?”

“230 Cobalt Street. It has a blue roof.”

“Alright, thank you very much!” Mirabella said, setting down the receiver. The bell rang on the door, and she looked up, expecting a customer. Bofur had come in, his floppy hat on his head and a wide smile on his face. “‘Ello there.” He said amicably, but Mirabella turned away from him. She was still feeling rather insulted from their last exchanges.

She opened her map and pretended to be studying it. Bofur leaned over with a coin in his hand trying to get her attention. “Here. I’ll take this, please.” He said, motioning to the basket of sliced banana bread sitting on the counter. Mirabella begrudgingly took the coin and gave him his change.

“Thank you very much. Have a good afternoon.” She told him monotonically.

“Aw, come on!” He said, “You're nae still mad at me, are ye?” Mirabella looked back at her map and Bofur stood there for a moment, waiting for an answer before he continued. “Look, we're gonnae be havin' a shindig at th' aviation club tonight. We'd love fur ye tae come.” He rustled around in his pocket before producing a letter with curly writing on the front and a ribbon wrapped around it.

“Here’s yer invitation.” He insisted, holding it out. It was addressed to ‘Miss Witch’. “It's a serious club fur those interested in flyin' an' aircraft an' so on an' so on. if you're interested in 'at.“ He leaned over the counter. “A' folks would be excited if ye came. Especially me.”

She was going to reply, but a customer had come in the door behind him. “May I help you sir?” She asked. The customer was carrying a large, heavy looking package.

“They tell me you have a delivery service.” The man said.

“Yes, of course. We can handle it.” Mirabella told him, leaving Bofur at the counter as she went to assist her customer.

“It’s very urgent that this package arrive as soon as possible.” The man told her. Mirabella leaned over to grab it, but it was so heavy she had to shuffle across the room so she could bring it to the scale. It weighed thirty pounds, and she began calculating cost, since she was charging by weight.

“Well, Ah hope ye make up yer min' by six o'clock.” Bofur said, setting the invitation on the counter top. “That's when i'll be by tae pick ye up. See ye.” He tipped his silly hat and left the store without a further ado. Before Mirabella could respond, her customer asked her about the cost of the delivery. By the time she was finished, Bofur had long since been gone.

After her customer left, Mirabella went tearing up the stairs to where Dori was doing some knitting on the couch. “Dori! Dori! I have a big problem!” She yelled, and Dori looked almost startled. “I got an invitation to a party at Bofur’s flying club.” Mirabella continued. Dori had already been regaled about Bofur and his teasing.

“I’m sure it will be fun.” Dori insisted, continuing to knit.

“But my problem is, what am I going to wear?” Mirabella asked, looking down at her plain black dress.

“Mirabella, you haven’t a problem. You look fine in that.” Dori told her, looking nonplussed. “Besides, it make you look beautiful and mysterious.”

“Really?”

“How’s work?” Dori changed the subject, and Mirabella gasped when she remembered her packages. She tore back downstairs to grab her package to be delivered. “Come on, Smeagol! We have packages to deliver!”

The package from the man was quite heavy and weighed her flying down. She had to kick off from building every so often, so she wouldn’t just bump into them. The package had to be delivered to the third floor of a building, and Mirabella ended up dragging it up the stairs as Smeagol licked himself at the top steps.

As soon as the package was signed for, she had to leave to make it to the woman’s house. She had asked her to come around at 4:30 and it was only five minutes to. Mirabella could find the blue roof easily enough and touched down on the sidewalk in front. The house was large with a beautiful garden sprawling before it. Mirabella looked at it for a moment, as it reminded her of her mother’s herbs and her father’s vegetable garden.

She took hold of the door knocker and rapped it against the door quickly. It was opened quickly by a young girl with choppy brown hair. She pushed her glasses up on her nose.

“You must be Mirabella? I am Ori. My big sister told me about you.” Mirabella remembered that Dori had told her about a younger sister who worked for a past mayor. Ori continued. “Mrs. Thror has been waiting for you. Come right this way.”

Mirabella was lead into the house. It had extravagant features like chandeliers and great staircases. Mirabella would have believed that a king lived here, not someone who had been mayor.

She was lead through the entry hall and to a kitchen, which was bright and clean. “Madam? The delivery girl is here.” Ori said, pausing at the doorway. The woman, Mrs. Thror, had long white hair trapped in a modest chignon at the nape of her neck. Her eyes were startling blue, even from this distance, and Mirabella seemed to have remembered seeing them somewhere before.

“My, is it delivery time already?” Mrs. Thror said, her voice crackled and old but with power behind it. “Come in, make yourself at home.” She said, waving her arm towards a chair sitting by the island table.

“My name is Mirabella. I’m a witch.” She introduced herself, curtseying with her black dress. Mrs. Thror nodded.

“I’m sorry.” Mrs. Thror told her. “But the package you were supposed to deliver isn’t finished.” She gestured to a beautiful looking, but raw, pie. “I’ve made a herring pumpkin pie, but my oven has a mind of its own and doesn’t want to heat up.”

Mrs. Thror shook her head and huffed. She hit the side of the oven gently. “I was hoping you’d be able to deliver it to my great-grandsons’ birthday party. They’re twins and turning 10 today.” She looked at the pie again and frowned. “I’ll have to admit defeat this time. I’ll have to phone them and tell them I’m sorry.”

Mirabella noticed an old wood oven in the wall. “Why don’t we use that one over there?” She asked.

Mrs. Thror looked at it with a critical eye. “It used to bake beautiful bread, but I haven’t used it in years.”

“If it burns firewood, I can help you.” Mirabella assured her. “I used to help my mama bake all the time.”

“It’s a big job to build a fire.” Mrs. Thror said, looking her over.

“I think her plan is perfect.” Ori insisted from the doorway. “It tastes better in the woodburning oven anyways.”

“I think it would work, really!” Mirabella told her again.

“Alright then, let’s try it.”

Mirabella carried armloads of wood inside from the shed. She built up a structure of wood in the oven and used sticks and old newspaper to light it. Ori had found some bellows in one of the closets, and after the fire was lit and the wood was caught in the flames, Mirabella used them to stoke it up. It took some time for the heat to be just right for baking.

She had a quick thought that she might be late for the party, but the clock told her she had plenty of time. As the fire died down to slow roasting coals, the pie was set inside the oven.

“Do you think forty minutes would be about right?” Mirabella asked, wiping the sweat off her forehead.

“Exactly. Why don’t we take a break now?” Mrs. Thror said.

“Maybe I can help around the house while the pie is baking.” Mirabella insisted.

“How nice of you to offer.” Ori said.

Mirabella helped screw in some light bulbs and beat out some rugs around the house. Mrs. Thror offered her some hot tea while they waited as well. As they were waiting, Mrs. Thror looked up at the clock and stopped. “What time did you say your party was?”

“It’s a six o’clock, but if I leave in ten minutes, I’ll be able to make it.”

“That’s the thing- My clock runs ten minutes slow!”

With a gasp, Mirabella nearly dropped her teacup. “I’m going to be late!”

“Check the pot pie and see if it’s ready.” Mrs. Thror told her, and Mirabella dashed over to the oven. “Ori! Come on! We have to hurry. Mirabella is running very late.” She called down the hallway.

The top of the pie was nice and crispy golden brown. Mirabella took it out carefully with oven mitts and set it in the basket Ori had fetched. They placed the lid on it and Ori fetched Mirabella’s broom.

Before Mirabella left, Mrs. Thror pressed some money into her hand.

“But that’s much too much!” Mirabella insisted.

“Nonsense. You’ve done very much for me today, and I will pay you for your time.”

As soon as she got outside, she flung herself on the broom, basket held by the handle, and lifted off. Dark clouds were gathering in the sky and Mirabella told herself that she could beat the rain if she flew just a bit faster.

Only a short time flying, and the rain poured down like buckets. Mirabella felt nearly soaked instantly. She used part of her dress to cover the basket, so it would stay dry. She could feel the roughness of the wicker against her skin and the cold, seeping wetness sticking to her.

Smeagol angrily yowled at being soaked. “Stopses! Out of the rains!” He cried.

“I can’t!” Mirabella yelled back. “If we stop, we’ll be even later!”

Back at the bakery, Bofur had shown up to pick up Mirabella. He had a nice suit on, even, as he waited for her. He stood under his umbrella, waiting for Mirabella to return.

As Mirabella touched down at the grandsons’ house, she could hear the clock tower ring loudly. She ran up to the door and rang the bell. The food still felt warm, and she was pleased that it had lasted, at least.

Twin boys, one blonde and the other brunette opened the door.

“Yes?” One asked.

“What is it?” Asked the other.

“I have a delivery.” Mirabella said, offering the basket to the boys. They looked at it and one of them scrunched their face.

“It’s one of great-grandma’s yucky pies, isn’t it?” He said.

“Hush, Kili.” The other admonished.

As soon as her book was signed, the door was shut in front of her. Mirabella stood there, feeling very dejected. All that work and they didn’t even appreciate it? All their great-grandmother wanted to talk about was them, she loved them so dearly. Mirabella stepped off the porch in her squeaking, soggy shoes, and took off again.

She was going slowly enough that Smeagol saw the difference.

“Party?” He asked, croaking at her. Mirabella refused to respond. She was twenty minutes late to the bakery, and she knew it. As she flew over the rooftops and began to lad in front of the bakery, she could see Bofur and his umbrella going just out of sight.

When she was going up the stairs, Dori saw her. “Your friend just left! If you go quickly, you can catch him.” Mirabella shook her head.

“It doesn’t matter anyways.” She told her, her eyes beginning to tear up. “I can’t go in these wet clothes anyways.” She turned and ran up the doors and shut the attic door with a resounding bang.

After she hung up her soaked clothes to dry, Mirabell crawled into her bed. Under the covers, she snuggled up tightly. Being in all that rain, she wasn’t feeling very well. She coughed several times before she was able to find sleep.

 


	7. A Propellor Driven Bicycle

In the morning, it was Smeagol’s pawing at the windows that alerted Dori that something was wrong. As Dori opened the door, the cat pushed up against her and whined pitifully before leading her to Mirabella’s bed.

“Oh goodness, Mirabella.” Dori sighed, feeling her forehead. “You have quite a fever there.”

“My head hurts…” Mirabella whimpered in return. “Do you think I’m going to die, Dori?” Dori just laughed heartily.

“Certainly not, dear! I’ll bring some medicine right up, and then maybe some pot pie.” Mirabella’s stomach protested at the mention of pot pie.

“Not that…” She pleaded.

“Well then, I’ll make you something else then.” Dori told her, pushing the covers back over her. “How about some nice hot oatmeal with honey? Would you like some too Smeagol?”

“Merow!”

After dealing out a dish for Smeagol, Dori placed a dish for Mirabella on the table.

“Come eat it while it’s still warm.”

“Do I have to?”

“If you want to get better you will.” Dori told her, shaking the spoon at her. “Oh! And that boy from the other day? He came by looking for you this morning.”

“What?” Mirabella exclaimed.

“Yes. When I told him you were sick, he asked how a witch could catch a cold in the first place. Oh, and he said he wanted to visit you a little later, too.” Dori winked at Mirabella, and the witch curled herself under the covers to hide her reddened face.

“Oh my gosh! No!” She yelled, muffled under the quilt.

“I thought you might say that,” Dori said. “So I turned him down politely.” Mirabella felt a bit better about that. Even if Bofur was a bit of a bully, he was still a boy of goodness sake!

“Now, you get some rest, dear.” Dori told her before she head out the door, just before Mirabella let her own eyes shut. She fell asleep very quickly.

Thankfully, Mirabella only spent the day feeling poorly. The next day, she felt fine and was up making pancakes when the morning came. She had some brief problems with the woodburning stove, but she managed to handle it. When she called Smeagol to breakfast, she noticed that he had decided to sit outside on one of the ledges, across from the sleek black cat that the neighbor owned.

After breakfast, Nori and Dori had a task for Mirabella. Nori handed her a brown paper bag, rolled at the top, and Dori handed her the address. Mirabella studied it for a moment. “The name is..Broadbeam?”

“Yep.” Nori confirmed.

“Thanks for the favor, dear. Take this money.” Dori told her, pressing a coin into her hand. Mirabella attempted to refuse it, but both Nori and Dori insisted she take it.

“Make sure to deliver in person.” Nori told her before she was waved out of the bakery.

“Smeagol!”

“What is it?” Came the garbled voice from the roof. Over it leaned the familiar face of her cat, but also the neighbor cat.

“Who's your friend?”

“Gollum.” He replied, almost as if he was coughing or hacking. “Be rights there.”

“No, no. Stay there, I’ll be right back.” She insisted. “He’s all yours Gollum.” Gollum replied with a lazy, hushed meow and Smeagol rolled his head away from her, almost as if we were embarrassed.

The delivery was only a few streets away, so Mirabella decided to leave her broom in her room, and simply walked. She didn’t remember meeting a ‘Broadbeam’, and was almost curious as to where she was going. It was a favor for Dori and Nori, after all.

As she came out of an alleyway, she was met with a sudden, warm gust. The alley lead to a landing just above the streets, with a beautiful view of the lake. The air rising towards her was warm and smelled fresh. She waited there a moment, to feel it rustle through her hair.

“Hey! Hey there! Miss Witch!” Came a voice from behind her. She gasped, and turned to find Bofur leaning over a ledge just a few feet higher than where she was standing. “Taking a walk?” He drawled.

“No.” She insisted. “I’m look for someone named Broadbeam.”

“Hey, ‘hat’s my name. ‘hat’s me.” Bofur replied. “Bofur Broadbeam, at yer service.” He did a mock bow and the ear flaps of his hat seemed to bow with him. Mirabella stood in shock silence as he told her how to get to the door. “I’ll be right with ye.” He told her with a wink.

“Dori, how could you do this to me?” She lamented. Her feet took her to the gate, regardless. Bofur met her at the gate, and she pushed the paper bag into his hands. He opened it and appeared to be reading a note left at the top. As he was silent, Mirabella tried to find the words she wanted to say.

“About the other night…” She started slowly. “I’m sorry I didn’t show up.”

“Huh?” Bofur looked up from the note before stuffing it in a pocket. “Nae, I’m sorry that ye ended up so sick like ’hat.” He stopped for moment. “Come over tae mah place. I have somethin' tae show ye.”

He led her to a garage. When he lifted up the old wooden door, her revealed a bike. Not an ordinary bike, but one fitted with different gears and chains and with a large propeller on the front.

“Th' party was tae celebrate th' completion of this.” He said with pride, his hand on his hips. “What do ye think?” Mirabella didn’t have a chance to reply before he stepped over and got on the bike.

“This is tae be th' engine of a man-propelled plane. We're gonnae assemble th' body an' wings at my cousin, Bifur’s.” He gave the pedal a few turns, and the propeller turned with it. Mirabella giggled at how enthused he was at his contraption.

“Hey, Miss Witch.” He said, hopping off and looking towards her. “How about we go down tae th' beach where th' dirigible landed yesterday?”

“Dirigible?”

“Do nae tell me ye have nae heard of Smaug.”

“Did that land already? I must have missed the announcement when I was sick.”

“Well then, let’s do it.” After making a few adjustments, they wheeled the bicycle out of the shed.

“Are we going on this?” She asked.

“Why nae? I have tae practice.” Bofur stepped over the main bar of the bicycle and held out his hand. She accepted it and sat on the back padding of the bicycle.

“I’ve never rode one of these before.” She admitted, holding the small piece of bar between her and Bofur.

“You’re in for a treat then.” He winked at her before pushing off. “Just imagine you’re flyin’!” He insisted. It took a little time for them to get to the slope, where they really took off. Mirabella mused for a moment that it was almost like flying, but far far lower to the ground.

When they reached one of the main roads, it became a bit trickier, as there were a few more turns. As they leaned inwards, towards the turn, Mirabella wondered if they were going to fall off, at times. “You’re doin’ fine!” Bofur encouraged her over the loud hum of the whirling propellor. She smiled at that and gripped the metal in her hands a bit tighter.

As they came closer to the beach, they could see a large airship anchored to the shore. It was a brilliant red, painted with scales and teeth even.

“So, that’s the dirigible?” She asked.

“Yep.” He replied. At that moment, a car came towards them, honking. It was almost a head-on collision until Bofur pushed up with his feet and they managed to just clear the car. They descended slowly, and then started to lift up slowly.

“Are we flyin’?” Bofur asked with disbelief, his silly hat flopping in the wind.

“Yes!” She cheered joyfully.

And again, more cars came down the road towards them. There were enough that she couldn’t simply jump again. Bofur quickly planted his feet down and pushed off the side of the road and over the ledge. They began to fall downwards to the beach below.

The ride down had been smooth until the propeller came off the bike. They crashed down onto one of the hills, and the force of the bicycle sent them careening down it. They made it just down the hill before the bicycle took a quick, erratic turn, tossing the pair of them off.

Mirabella got up first and ran over to where Bofur had fell. As he rubbed the back of his head, she began to frantically ask him if he was alright.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m alright. Are ye?”

“I’m okay.” She assured him. He looked up and she could see the slightly dazed look in those big brown eyes of his. She wondered how she hadn’t quite noticed their shade before. Not that that had been important, anyways.

Without her permission, a happy giggle blooming in her chest. They had just flown off a cliff, practically. She could only giggle for so long until she was fully laughing. Bofur looked at her confused for a moment.

“I’m sorry, but when we flew off that cliff, I was so scared!” She told him when she caught her breath. She started laughing again, and Bofur joined her this time, his laugh far more melodic and musical.

“Yeah, me too.” He admitted. “Was it yer magic 'at made us stay up?”

“I’m not sure.” She responded. Magic was a bit of a finicky thing, honestly. “Anything is possible.” She glanced behind him and saw the crushed bicycle. “Oh no! Your bike is a real mess!” She exclaimed, which had Bofur swiveling back to look at it.

When he saw the propellor still falling, he quickly asked her to watch the bicycle while he went to get it back. As Mirabella watched him stumble over the grass to the slowly falling propellor, she couldn’t help but smile. This was easily the most fun she’s had since she left home.

After they gathered the parts of the bicycle, they managed to haul it over to a hill near the airship, Smaug. They watched the men going to and from the dirigible, and sat quietly. It was peaceful, really.

“How great would it be tae go around the world in a dirigible like ‘hat?” Bofur asked. “But ye were flyin’ since ye were young, huh?”

“Well, yes. Since I was a baby. My mother used to take me with her. She taught me never to be scared.”

“You’re so lucky, Bella. I wish I could fly.” He looked at the dirigible with a look that could only be described at longing. Mirabella almost felt guilty about being able to fly when he could not, but she knew that she couldn’t change the fact she was a witch.

“Flying used to be fun, until I started doing it for a living.” She admitted softly.

“Hey, wait. Ye cannae nae enjoy flyin’. Yer a witch.”

“I know. I still that way though.” She said, kicking a little sand under her shoe. “But, I’m very glad I came with you today. I feel much better sitting by the beach.” She looked back at him for a moment. He smiled at her and she smiled back.

“Why donnae I bring you here whenever you want?” Bofur offered. “I can train myself at the same time.” He flexed his muscles comically and Mirabella giggled.

“You’re a very nice person.” She told him.

“Huh? You just found ‘hat out?” He teased her.

“Sorry, but at first I thought you were such a clown. You were always teasing me.”

“Ya know, me mam says the same thing. ‘Donae be such a clown. Stop lookin’ at the sky and go back tae yer books.’” He imitated a whiny, falsetto voice. They both laughed again.

A car pulled up on the road just behind them. “Hey! Bofur!” Yelled a voice. Bofur turned to see who it was. It was an old car, with a few boys and several girls. “Guess what’s up Bofur!” Called one of the girls. Mirabella remembered seeing them on the street, dressed in pretty fashions. “Something really great is happening! Come on over!”

“I’ll be back inna second.” He assured Mirabella before dashing over to the car. Mirabella suddenly felt a little lonely. Maybe even jealous. She wasn’t sure why, however. Bofur chatted animatedly with the girls in the car. Then he turned around.

“Hey, Bella! Come join us! We’re goin’ tae tour Smaug!”

“Thanks, but I don’t want to.” Mirabella insisted.

“Why nae? It’ll be fun!” Bofur insisted back. As Bofur began to walk back to her, she could almost see his friends talking to each other, about her.

“Come on, I’ll introduce ye.”

“No thanks. I’m going home.” She told him, and began to walk up the short hill that had sat on.

“...What’s the matter?” He asked softly. She began to walk away and he had to run to catch up. “What are ye mad about?”

“I’m not mad at all, Bofur.” She said coldly. “I just have a lot on my mind, so please just leave me alone.” She almost felt bad about being rude to him, but she was so confused and unhappy that she couldn’t think of what else to do than leave.

She could hear Bofur’s confused sounds behind her, and his eventual steps back to the car when the girls called for him. She walked back up the road, quietly. She listened to the cars zip past her as her mind zipped just as fast.

She felt relieved, but very tired when she reached the attic of the bakery. She tried turning on the radio of a moment, but turned it off soon as well. She didn’t feel like listening right now. She went to her bed and let herself fall forward, as if she were some kind of ragdoll. She flopped against the covers and didn’t move until she heard the telltale sound of a cat jumping onto the floor from the window.

“Meow.” Smeagol yowled from the floor. He then jumped onto the bed and meowed at her again.

“Smeagol, I think something’s wrong with me. I meet a lot of people, and everything seems to be going okay.” She thought of flying on that silly bicycle with Bofur. That been be nice, fun even. “But then, I start feeling like such an outsider.” Like when Bofur had been chatting with the girls in the car. “You should have seen how Bofur’s friends looked at me.” She insisted.

Smeagol disregarded her and jumped off the bed. He ran over to the window and hopped up in one fluid movement. Mirabella picked herself up from her bed.

“Where are you going?” She asked him.

He didn’t answer.

 


	8. To Thorin's Cabin

More of the day passed, and Mirabella found herself unhappily seated at the front of the bakery. There was again, no customers. After working, she found herself listlessly poking at her dinner.

Smeagol came through the window again. He hopped up onto the table and started licking the butter off the pancakes she had made.

“You can’t be late to every meal, just because you have a girlfriend now.” She told him, still angry that he hadn’t listened to her earlier.

“Meooow.” Smeagol replied.

“Meoooow yourself.” She mocked. “Why are you talking like a cat?”

“Meooow.” Mirabella looked up for a moment and had a startling realisation.

“Oh my...Talk to me Smeagol!” She pleaded. “You mean you can’t speak to me anymore?” He simply looked at her, took his piece of sausage in his mouth, and lept over to the window.

“Smeagol?” She asked, and his tail disappeared over the ledge. “What’s going on with him? I can’t understand anything he’s trying to say.” Then she had a different realisation. “What if that means-?”

She dashed over to her broom. She put herself onto it and jumped into the air, only to crash back to the ground. The familiar magic wasn’t pooling up in her feet, and she didn’t feel it at all!

“I-I’m losing my witches’ powers.” She told herself quietly.

She tried again, several times that night, to fly. She’d take several running steps down a hill and then jump. She’d still fall after time. Then she would try again. After one particular failed jump, she found her broom snapped beneath her. Her mother’s broom, snapping beneath her like it was a toothpick. She went to bed very sadly that night, yet again. She refused to admit to herself even that she cried herself to sleep that night.

The next morning, she told Dori while she was hanging sheets up on the clothesline with Balin.

“What do you mean?” She asked. “You haven’t lost your magic, have you?”

“It’s become very weak, so I...I think I have to take a break from my delivery work. I promise I’ll be really good with my work in the bakery, so please let me stay in the room upstairs!”

“Well, that’s no problem, dear.” Dori insisted.

“I’m sure your powers will come back after some rest.” Balin chimed in as he pinned another sheet up.

“I really don’t know.” Mirabella admitted quietly. “Maybe if I make a new broom.” At that time, Dwalin and Nori came out to the yard.

“Would ya look at that.” Nori said, pointing out the dirigible Smaug flying through the skies. It didn’t make Mirabella feel in awe. It made her feel even sadder, if anything. If she looked hard enough, she could even see Bofur waving from the undercarriage.

Bofur called her later that day to tell her about the test flight, but she couldn’t find it in her to reply. She ended up simply hanging the phone up without saying a word. Dori looked at her with concern.

“What’s the matter dear? Is there anything I can do for you?” She called down the hall as Mirabella passed.

“I’m still in training to become a witch. If I lose my magic, then that means I’ve lost absolutely everything.” Mirabella sobbed before bolting out the door.

“Mirabella!” Dori called after her, but she had already shut the door behind her.

Mirabella spent the rest of the night whittling down a long broom handle. It became hard to see at times through her tears, but she kept shaving off wood until she was satisfied.

Early the next morning, Mirabella had just came out of the bakery when she saw a familiar figure walking down the sidewalk. “Thorin? Is that you?” The figure stopped, and those piercing blue eyes looked at her. Mirabella ran to catch up with her, and the stoic woman waited patiently.

“What are you doing in town?” She asked, a bit happy to see a familiar face, even if it was a gruff one.

“I have to do some shopping, Burglar” Thorin said blankly, hefting her bag up on her shoulder firmly. Mirabella mused that Burglar must be one of her new nicknames, next to ‘Miss Witch’.

“Do you want to come inside? I live just over here.”

“...Very well.” Thorin conceded.

Mirabella led her up the stairs to her attic room. Thorin was quiet, setting her bag down on the floor.

“Quaint place.” She commented softly, trying to be polite. Mirabella pushed a basket of blackberry pastries she just brought in from the bakery and laid out before her.

“Help yourself. Would you like coffee? Or tea?”

“Coffee is fine.” Thorin told her before sampling a pastry. Mirabella stepped away to pour her a cup. Thorin wandered over to the open window and looked out. Smeagol took this time to creep up on the roof tiles and Thorin noticed.

“Hello. You must be Smeagol. You’re the spitting image of that stuffed cat.” She commented. Smeagol paid no mind to her, just made a quiet wheezing noise and then hopped into the attic.

Mirabella began pouring some milk out for herself and Thorin started a conversation, slowly. “How is your delivery business?” Mirabella paused. She set down the glass slowly and didn’t speak.

“That bad?”

“I’m not working much now.” Mirabella replied, setting a bowl of milk down for Smeagol. Before she really knew it, Mirabella had spilled out what had happened with her and how her magic was fading away to nothingness.

“I had thought that...you had looked unhappy.” Thorin told her hesitantly. They sat quietly for a moment. “If you would like...you can come stay at my cabin for a time, Burglar” She offered quietly. “I know that being where it's quiet can...be helpful.”

Mirabella accepted the offer graciously. She could hazard a guess that this was not something that Thorin would usually offer, and she decided to take it as she could. After letting Dori know she’d be away at a friend’s for a time, and making sure Smeagol would be fed, as he wanted to stay with his new girlfriend, they set off.

They took a bus out to the city limits and then began to walk a bit farther. They were mostly quiet, but it was an amiable silence. The air felt fresh and clear and the view was beautiful. They hitched a ride with an old farmer and made their way to Thorin’s cosy cabin. The ravens perched themselves on the roof, almost as if in wait for her to return.

Thorin tossed the keys to Mirabella before she went off to the well in the back of the lot. Mirabella brought Thorin’s bags into the cabin and stopped, mesmerised by a beautiful painting set up on the easel in the room.

It was painted in small, thin strokes of bright paint. It was of a girl with curled hair holding a brightly shining stone. She was flying on the back of a dragon with intricate scales that flashed red and gold. Next to them flew several ravens and below them was a town floating on a lake. The sky was peppered with bright swirls of stars and colors with a bright moon hung in the corner.

Mirabella hadn’t realised that she had moved until her nose was nearly touching the painting until she heard Thorin behind her. “Like it?”

“Yes.” Mirabella whispered, almost reverently.

“I was...inspired after we met.” Thorin told her, setting the water bucket down in another corner. “But it is not completed yet.” She paused and looked at the face. “I have been waiting for you to come by again, so I may finish it.”

“You mean...that’s me?”

“Yes.” Thorin admitted. “Would you be willing to model for me?” She asked, her timbre voice soft and pliant.

“But, I’m not very pretty. What do you want me to do that for?” Mirabella argued. Thorin just motioned for her to sit down. Mirabella sat still as Thorin moved a piece of thick charcoal over her sketchpad. They were quiet, other than the dull scratches of the charcoal.

“Sometimes, I’m not able to paint anything.” Thorin started slowly, softly, as if she was trying to not startle a bird. “Magic and art seem similar, in that respect.”

“What do you do then? When you can’t paint?” Mirabella asked, turning towards her.

“Please don’t move, it’s harder to draw.” Thorin admonished and Mirabella moved back into position.

“I used to be able to fly without thinking about it.” Mirabella admitted. “Now I’m left trying to find out how I did it. I just can’t figure it out.”

“Maybe you’re working at it too hard.”

“But if I can't fly…”

“Stop trying. Don’t even think about flying. And then you'll be flying again.”

“You think my problems will-?”

“Go away?” Thorin finished. “Thats correct.” She returned to drawing and Mirabella became quiet and complacent. Maybe she had been thinking about it too hard. Maybe all she needed was some true rest, like Dori had told her.

That night, they had rolled up in soft quilts in front of the fire. Thorin had made some sort of honeyed drink that they were sipping. Mirabella had been telling of when she was little and first learning about being a witch from her mother. Thorin got quiet, sipping her drink slowly.

“When I was your age, I decided to become an artist.” She said quietly, almost as if telling a deep secret. “I loved painting and would paint until I fell asleep. Then I would wake and paint again.”

Thorin became quiet again. “My grandmother and my mother didn’t like that idea. They had both been mayors of Erebor before me and expected me to do the same. I didn’t like that idea very much, so I began to paint even more.” She took a drink again and then sighed.

“Then one day, I just couldn't paint anymore. I tried and tried but nothing seemed to work. They were copies of paintings that I’d seen somewhere before, and not very good copies either.” Thorin swirled her drink in her mug. “I just felt like I had lost all my ability.”

“That sounds...like me.” Mirabella said slowly and Thorin nodded.

“It’s very much the same. I found my answer. I didn’t know what or why I wanted to paint. I had to discover it for myself. When you fly, you rely on what’s inside of you, don’t you?”

“Yes. We fly with our spirit.”

“Trusting your spirit. That’s exactly what I’m talking about. That same spirit is what makes me paint, and your friend bake. We all need to find our own inspiration. It’s not easy, sometimes.”

“I guess I never gave much thought as to why I wanted to do this. I just caught so caught up in all the training and stuff.” Mirabella said quietly. “Maybe I have to find my own inspiration. But am I ever going to find it? Is it worth all the trouble?” She asked.

Thorin shrugged. “Well, there were quite a few times when I thought of painting something over that painting.” She said, looking to the girl on the dragon.

“But it ended up being so great.”

“So I guess it was worth it.” Thorin said softly.

They sat quietly for a moment. As Thorin reached over to turn out the light, Mirabella asked “Is Mrs. Thror your grandmother? The one who was mayor?”

“Yes.”

“Do you think you’ll ever become mayor too?” Mirabella asked.

“Maybe.” Thorin said quietly. “I would like to make my family proud, but I want to do what makes me happy too.”

“Why can’t you do both?” Mirabella asked softly. Thorin didn’t reply. Instead she turned out the light. Mirabella crawled into the bed and shut her eyes. Then she heard a soft ‘Thank you’ from beside her. Mirabella fell asleep with a soft smile on her lips.

 


	9. The Man's Push Brooomstick

The next day, Mirabella called Dori on a payphone. After checking in and telling her that she was heading home, Dori told her of a delivery. “I didn’t tell Mrs. Thror yes or no, since I wasn’t sure if you could do it.” Dori said. “She was very insistent though. What do you think?”

“I can do it.” Mirabella insisted.

“Alright. Stop there on your way back.” Dori told her.

Thorin arranged a ride for Mirabella back into the city with her cousin Dain, a stout older man with a big red beard and a bigger laugh. Mirabella was still thanking Thorin for everything when they pulled away.

Once in Erebor, Mirabella took a trolley to Mrs. Thror’s house. Ori opened the door for her. “Oh, Mirabella!” She cheered. “We’ve been expecting you!” Ori ushered her into the sitting room. Mrs. Thror had been watching the news. The airship, Smaug was to be taking off soon and most of the city was tuned in to watch it, if they weren’t at the beach to see it in person.

“It’s very nice to see you again, Mrs. Thror.”

“I’m glad you came.” Mrs. Thror told her before sending Ori to grab the package. Ori set the package on the table. “Could you do me a favor and open the box?” Mrs. Thor asked. Mirabella lifted the top to reveal a beautiful chocolate cake. It had frosting in the shape of a little witch and ‘MIRABELLA’ written beneath it.

“Could you deliver this to a young delivery girl? She was kind to me and a very big help. It’s my way of saying thank you.” Mrs. Thror smiled. “Can you also find out when her next birthday is? That way I can make her another one.”

“Of course I will!” Mirabella told her, swiping some stray tears from her face. “And maybe the young girl will also want to know your birthday so she can do the same!”

“You’ve got a deal.” Mrs. Thror smiled. They both laughed.

“Oh, and I have a message for you as well.” Mirabella told her. Mrs. Thror seemed slightly confused but motioned for her to continue.

“Your oldest granddaughter would like to talk to you again.” Mirabella told her, pulling a slip of paper out of her pocket. “This is her address, if you’d like to send a letter.”

“Oh, Thorin…” Mrs. Thror said, looking at the paper. “I haven’t seen her in-” She was interrupted by the television behind her. The screen showed a large wind kicking up at the beach. Mirabella and Mrs. Thror turned to look at it and Ori turned up the volume. The signal was cutting out a bit as it showed people being swept off their feet and Smaug being pulled into the sky against its moorings.

“Midsummer is always when these winds kick up.” Ori said. “I’m sure it will hit her-” Before Ori finished, the winds did hit the sides of the house, slamming the windows and rattling the house. On the television, the airship had lost all but one of the ropes tying it down. It was angled nearly vertical as people tried to hold onto the rope.

The reporter was frantically trying to get a good shot and report as they tried to tie the rope to the back bumper of a police car. The people started falling off the rope as the dirigible lifted higher and higher into the air, and it was revealed that Bofur was still gripping on as the dirigible finally blew into the air.

“Bofur!” Mirabella whispered at the television. “That’s my friend on the rope!”

Both Bofur and the police car were suddenly lifted hundreds of feet in the air as another gust took Smaug upwards.

“I have to go!” Mirabella yelled. The dirigible was blowing towards town, and as Mirabella made it out on the sidewalk, she saw many other people crowding out into the streets. They were all yelling about the news, and several people were clambering onto high points to attempt to grab Bofur if he blew their way.

As Mirabella ran towards the center of town, she could hear some people saying that the police car had dropped from the end of the rope into someone’s pool and now Bofur had nothing beneath him on the rope.

Mirabella couldn’t think of what else to do but to run, and ran she did. She was caught in the throngs of the crowd just beneath the dirigible. Police sirens and newscasts were thrumming through the air along with panicked voices and people. Fire engines were coming down the street and Mirabella had to dodge to the sidewalk to avoid being hit.

She stopped to catch her breath and she looked up at Smaug again, looming above her. She had to do something! Bofur’s very life was at stake! “Are you alright?” Asked the man next to her. He was far taller than her with long brown hair partially tied back.

“Miss Witch!” Cheered a voice beside him, and Mirabella saw that Sigrid and Tilda were with the man. She also noticed that the man had a long black broom.

“May I borrow this?” She asked, grabbing a hold of the handle of the push broom.

“Let her use it, daddy!” Tilda cheered and her father released the broom to her.

“Just bring it back.” Their father said, but Mirabella had already taken it. She took off and stood in the middle of the street. Nearby cars were parked by her and she felt people’s eyes on her. She planted her feet firmly and tried to feel, deep down, for that familiar thrum of magic.

She took a deep breath. Another. Then she concentrated, reminding herself how important it was to fly right now. The soles of her feet began to hum with magic and then it spread upwards and she could feel it swirl around her like wind. Then Mirabella shot upwards like a shot.

It was shaky, and she had to push herself off of some buildings, but she could feel the magic had returned to her. Her magic was only newly returned and the broom not her own, so her flight was far shakier than it should have been, but regardless, she flew towards Smaug.

She watched as it headed straight for that gorgeous raven clocktower. Bofur was still clinging to the end of the rope, but if she did not reach him before the dirigible hit the clocktower, he was certainly doomed. She was just a short ways away when Smaug hit the face of the clocktower, the body of the blimp puncturing on the top of the clocktower. Bofur went surging towards the clock face and hit it but didn’t manage to stay on the face before he swung back again like a pendulum.

Mirabella could hear his frantic yells for help and her eyes started to mist. She let the tears fall as she yelled at the unruly broom to hurry. She could still catch him as she knew she could. Smaug was hemorrhaging helium fast and it wouldn’t be long before it didn’t have enough left to float.

The tail began to deflate and sink towards the ground and it crashed onto a nearby building, almost like a large bridge. The middle was still sinking as more helium released and Bofur was stranded on the rope high above the ground. Bofur had managed to keep his hold on the rope so far but he was slipping fast.

At home, Dori, Balin, Dwalin, and Nori were watching as the Television captured Mirabella flying through the air towards the blimp, as well as Ori and Mrs. Thror had. Those who knew her were cheering her on as she rushed towards Smaug to save her friend.

Mirabella had managed to get close to the crash and began circling around the rope. The broom was being finicky again and she was having trouble getting close enough to let Bofur’s calloused fingers grasp her own.

“Bofur!” She screamed, stretching as far as she could without falling off the broom. Bofur reached equally far, still gripping onto the rope. His hat, that silly, silly hat of his fell off of his head and fell to the earth and Mirabella had a moment of panic as she knew that that would be Bofur falling.

“Hold on Bofur!” She cried as the Broom jerked again and dropped her just below him. She circled back up to his height and tried to grasp him. Their fingers barely brushed and it was almost enough.

“Bella…!”

Bofur’s fingertips just touched her own when his grip on the rope slipped and he went plummeting towards the earth. A startled gasp came from the crowd below as Mirabella rocketed down after him, her arm outstretched to reach his. With one hand still holding the broom, she flung herself off and managed to grab Bofur’s hand.

As they slowed down their descent, the crowd below them cheered. Firemen began to crowd below them with a net. Bofur’s feet touched the net gently, he stumbled for a moment, but as soon as he had a purchase on the stretched net, he swung around to catch Mirabella around the waist. He twirled her about, once, twice even before kissing her soundly, to the cheers of the crowd around them, and even a few at home. Mirabella’s cheeks flushed for a moment as Bofur pulled away, that silly grin on his lips, before she pushed at him and kissed him back.

It was an exciting summer of her first year of training, but years and years later, if you asked Mirabella about it, she would still tell you it was one of the most exciting times of her life. She wouldn't trade it for the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still one more chapter! We're almost done! Thank you for staying with me this long!


	10. EPILOUGE

“Dear Mama and Dad,

I know how we have been talking about my birthday coming up, and my year of training finishing, but I don’t know yet if I really want to come back home. I’ve met some many people and have done so many things here in Erebor. Is this what it felt like for you, mama?

Bofur and the rest of the club finished their plane last month. It worked like a dream, and the propellor didn’t come off this time! It was really something to have someone else flying with me. I got to show Bofur everything that I saw daily when I was doing my deliveries! The first flight was shorter, since Bofur could only pedal for so long, but maybe one day Bofur will be able to come with me on my deliveries.

It’s mostly wishful thinking, but it’d be wonderful for my own boyfriend to experience one of the things that makes me happiest. Is this what you and mama felt, papa, when you first started divination practice with her?

Baby Kori is doing wonderfully. She still is a bit fussy at times, and boy does she eat, but it’s kind of neat having a baby around. Sometimes I see Dwalin looking at her and I wonder if it makes him and Nori want to adopt one of their own.

Bofur has decided to name Smeagol and Gollum’s little boy kitten Riddler, since they were gracious enough to allow us to name their kittens, but I’ve decided to name the girl Precious. Smeagol doesn’t call me that anymore, so I thought it might be appropriate.

The clocktower reconstruction is finished as well! The ravens are looking as beautiful as ever! I’ll have to send you a postcard of them, so you’ll really see what I mean! I’ve heard that a new dirigible called Sauron is being worked on in the south, as a replacement of Smaug, but I honestly don’t mind not having a dirigible in town. Bofur still likes them regardless.

Both the bakery and the delivery service are doing well, and I am happy to report that I made my 100th delivery not too long ago! Mrs. Thror baked a cake for the occasion and we held a party. Thorin even came and showed me the blueprints for the new mural to go in the city center of what is now called ‘The Greatest Calamity of our Age’. I told her that she has to at least make me look good if she’s going to be painting me! I don’t know where she’ll find time to do it between being mayor and her other artwork, but she’s happy and I’m sure she’ll manage.

About my decision...There are times when I do feel a little homesick, but all in all, I still love this city, and I do want to stay another year.

Love, Mirabella.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for sticking with me! I'm really proud of this one and have been grateful for everyone's kudos, comments, and hits! I hope this epilogue tied up the rest of the story for you. 
> 
> Thank you!

**Author's Note:**

> I adore this movie and wondered how each Hobbit character would fit in the story. As we go along, I hope you like and laugh as you recognise the original movie and the Hobbit characters mixed. I've included several references as well, if you know where to look.
> 
> Here's to having a good time for the rest of this story! Don't be afraid to leave a comment! Let me know if you can find any references I've made.


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